On Wednesday, October 21st, the Board of Governors for Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center met for their monthly meeting. Jennifer Crum, Director of Student Services, gave a presentation updating the Board on the department’s operations and progress.

The Department of Student Services, said Crum, brings myriad services to client districts including special education consultation, behavior intervention, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language therapy, vision intervention, orientation and mobility, school psychology, preschool itinerant intervention, school-age intervention specialists, and school social worker services. Crum shared the department will soon include audiology services to assist area districts in meeting the educational needs of their students. She also said the department has enhanced their ability to serve parents by bringing back the Parent Mentor program in the past year.

Crum highlighted another new service that has been implemented: the District Special Education Audit. The Special Education Audit Team collects qualitative and quantitative data for the requesting district’s administration to prepare a plan for improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and compliance of its special education program. The team includes Crum herself as well as Ann Pfister and Sandra Powell, Educational Consultants.

Another large part of the Student Services Department is how they serve educators themselves through professional learning opportunities and networking. Staff development opportunities for this year are based on the 2019-2020 survey responses from client districts. Many of these training sessions are provided by our Behavior Support Team. Other trainings are relative to compliance with Ohio’s “Operating Standards for Ohio’s Schools Serving Children with Disabilities,” as well as research-based practices currently applicable to the area of student services.

For networking, Team Leaders have been selected to lead the network meetings for Special Education Directors/Coordinators, Related Service Providers and School Psychologists. Team leaders are an integral piece to developing professional learning and networking opportunities that prove valuable to their teams because they are all out there on a daily basis serving students. Together, these teams can work collaboratively within their own discipline or cross-network with other disciplines to promote robust professional learning that transforms the educational experience of all students. 

Crum said, all in all, the department continues to uphold the goals set forth by Mid-Ohio Superintendent Kevin D. Kimmel to build relationships, create an environment of trust, and provide superior service for students and districts across the region.

FBA-BIP

Functional Behavior Assessment-Behavior Intervention Planning

  Presenters:

Ang Fetter and Ann Pfister

Virtual Training Dates:

January 14 and January 21, 2021

8:30am—11:30am

Click here for the flyer

Click here to register

CRISIS PREVENTION INSTITUTE TRAINING

(INITIAL, REFRESHER AND AUTISM SPECTRUM - NEW!)

Crisis Prevention Institute Initial and Refresher Training is a safe, non-harmful behavior management system designed to help human service professionals provide the best possible Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security^SM of disruptive, assaultive, and out-of-control individuals even during their most violent moments.

You will have a workbook to take notes in as well as pre- and post - tests to complete so please bring something to write with. Also, wear comfortable clothing and closed-toed shoes (tennis shoes are best). When the physical restraint portion of the class is taught and practiced, you will be asked to remove scarves, ties, and any jewelry that could scratch.

Click here for information about upcoming scheduled Initial training

Maximum of 10 participants per session* 

Click here for information about upcoming scheduled Refresher training

Maximum of 40 participants per session*

Click here for information about upcoming scheduled Autism Spectrum Disorders Supportive Strategies training

Maximum of 10 participants per session*

*Participants above maximum, will be notified and put on a wait list. 

Click here to request in-district CPI training for your staff!

Click here for important information about COVID-19. 

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is excited to announce Google Classroom training and support for educators in the areas of technology and mathematics. They are designed to assist teachers and administrators to design engaging learning for students in the traditional classroom or remotely.

The new technology training series, “Guide to a Successful Google Classroom”, is available for elementary and secondary teachers. The goal is not only to help teachers create more interactive online learning, but to engage students more deeply to use and create content remotely using a wide variety of technology tools.

The online classrooms have lessons, activities, and resources for teachers to design successful lessons for their students. The elementary and secondary series each include 13-17 different topics containing more than 20 detailed lesson plans with suggestions to meet the needs of all learners. The “How-To” section contains many connections to help teachers recreate the lessons. Videos and websites are included to support the lessons and provide help for students working online. They also show how to engage students in the content.

The lessons were designed at the beginners’ level using Google Maps, Slides, Docs, Sheets, Forms, Jamboard, and Audacity. Teachers will have access to both elementary and secondary levels to explore all the lessons. A second Google Classroom series for advanced learners is nearing completion and will be released soon.

Michelle Vance, the creator of the technology classrooms, noted, “It is such a pleasure to create a training series to help teachers with online lessons and new ideas, and to provide resources to immediately use in the classroom with all learners. Teachers work hard to create online lessons, and I enjoy helping them!”

A second series, created by Gifted/Mathematics Consultant Leanna Ferreira, is also being released. These classrooms, based on an in-depth presentation by the Ohio Department of Education’s mathematics consultants, will help administrators lead teachers through evidence-based practices in mathematics instruction. The series provides numerous tools, including facilitator’s guides, videos, and conversation starters to engage teachers as they learn how to deepen their students’ understanding of mathematics. Coached through the lens of explicit instruction, the information can be used in traditional classrooms or remotely. 
 
“As a fellow math teacher, we all wish to see our students engage in the math content in meaningful ways,” said Ferreira. “The resources and conversations contained in this classroom aim to provide instructional leaders the opportunity to foster greater opportunities for creating engaged mathematicians in our classrooms.”

Academic Challenge has been something students from 4th through 12th grade have looked forward to every year. For years, the meets have brought districts from around the area together for friendly competition. But, as has been the theme for much of 2020, COVID-19 has had an impact on how the meets will proceed, but the good news is they will proceed, and Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is proud to continue to bring this opportunity to students.

Leanna Ferreira, coordinator of Academic Challenge and Gifted Consultant at Mid-Ohio ESC, said this year, out of an abundance of caution for the health of all involved, the meets will take place virtually. “Essentially, as long as the county is not purple,” said Ferreira, “each team will gather in one room and connect with another team and the reader via Zoom in a virtual room to quiz.” She said they will likely be in their home district building, though a district can contact Mid-Ohio ESC for a room to use should it be needed. 

The fall meet schedule for high school starts in just a few weeks. On October 26th, there will be a shortened version of a meet that will serve as a dry run for the new style of virtual meets to allow everyone to get used to the new rules and processes. Regular competitions will be held the afternoons of November 2nd, 9th and 23rd, with a tournament to be held on Saturday, November 21st. 

Some of the changes implemented are longer times allotted for questions to compensate for the virtual format, an online buzzer, and teams will need to develop a virtual way of sharing potential answers for the team questions so that the team captain can gain ideas from all members. Previously, teams would whisper among themselves as they sat next to each other at a table. “Within the virtual format,” said Ferreira, “the microphone would be open and whispers would be heard!”

Ferreira said she is excited Mid-Ohio ESC can provide students with a safe opportunity to compete this year despite the challenge of a global pandemic. “While managing the technology will lend a new set of challenges, I am anticipating that our tournaments and league play will result in the same high level of academic competition and enjoyment for all students. I even anticipate that some of the measures we have instituted will result in enhanced play when we have the opportunity to return to in-person competitions.”

Abraxas School of Ohio and FIRST, alternative placement partners of Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center, have immediate openings for substitute teachers at both schools at the rate of $140 per day.

Abraxas serves up to 100 students with drug and alcohol dependency or delinquency issues, and a maximum of 10 students in a behavioral health unit. FIRST School serves up to 80 female students ages 12-17, along with a small unit of 8-12 male students. Students are generally referred to FIRST by social and children’s services agencies in their home counties and are often in the custody of these agencies, with acute mental health needs.

If you are interested in subbing in these facilities, but still have questions, you can call Shelly Patrick, Abraxas Principal, at 419-747-3322, ext. 71572 or email patrick.michelle@moesc.net and Vanessa Wagner, FIRST Principal at 419-589-5511 or email wagner.vanessa@moesc.net. Anyone wanting to be added to the sub list for either Abraxas or FIRST must email Kathy Grove at grove.kathleen@moesc.net or call 419-774-5520.
 
Abraxas is also hiring for an Intervention Specialist, teaching Integrated English for grades 7-12 and Integrated Math for grades 7-12. Candidates need to have an Intervention Specialist license. Interested people may apply through the Mid-Ohio ESC website. Anyone with questions concerning the position may contact Patrick at Abraxas.
 
Private Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) Programs include the Abraxas School and FIRST School, which are funded through the Ohio Department of Education Private Residential Treatment Facility Pilot Program to operate the academic program at two of the three PRTF sites: Abraxas, located east of Shelby and FIRST, located west of Lucas. These programs are also supported through Title 1-D (Delinquent) funds administered by Mid-Ohio ESC. Mid-Ohio ESC partners with the residential treatment program administration and staff to deliver an educational program that meets the requirement of the Ohio Department of Education for students in correctional facilities.